Joe Silva to Step Down as UFC Matchmaker by End of 2016

Joe Silva, who booked matchups for fighters from 155 pounds to
heavyweight in the Las Vegas-based promotion, will part ways with
the UFC by the end of 2016. Sherdog.com on Wednesday confirmed with
a source close to the situation that Silva will retire from his
position. TalkMMA
first reported Silva’s departure via Twitter.

Silva’s UFC tenure
dates back to before the company was purchased by Zuffa in
2001, as he answered an ad taken out by previous owner Semaphore
Entertainment Group in “Black Belt Magazine. From there, Silva’s
role gradually evolved from advisor to official employee over the
course of approximately 21 years with the organization.

Although it is unclear if the two are related, Silva’s exit is one
of the first significant changes to occur in the UFC since the
promotion was purchased by William Morris Endeavor and
International Management Group (WME-IMG) earlier this summer for a
reported $4 billion. Silva is believed to have profited from that
sale, according to
MMAjunkie.com.

It is currently unknown who will take over Silva’s matchmaking
duties in the UFC. Sean Shelby, who previously worked for World
Extreme Cagefighting, currently handles matchmaking for men’s
weight classes 145 pounds and below as well as women’s bantamweight
and strawweight in the promotion. In addition to setting up bouts,
Silva also played a significant role in managing the UFC’s roster,
including signing and releasing fighters.